


Innocent Bystander

by Madangel19



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Blood and Violence, Gen, Suspense, Torture, this came to me in a dream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:28:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28681113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madangel19/pseuds/Madangel19
Summary: A hiker comes across something strange in the woods
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo, I had a dream where I was being chased by Megatron in a forest and had to write a fic based off of it.  
> Enjoy!

There was a pleasant chill in the air as Terra hiked through the lush forest. Today was a perfect day to hike alone. No one else was around and she could be alone with her thoughts as she walked. This park had been closed down for unknown reasons, but that wasn’t going to stop her from sneaking in and exploring to her hearts content.  
She stopped by a running stream and refilled her water bottle. The water was cold and clean as she took a sip. Perfect. Terra sighed as she sat and admired the forest surrounding her. It was so quiet except for the gurgling stream. It was odd that she didn’t hear any birds singing. There were no deer as well. Even stranger. There were usually lots of deer around during this time of year.  
Terra didn’t think too much about it as she got back up again and continued on her walk. She began to hum a tune to herself as she gazed up at the canopy above her. She had been walking for around an hour by herself, embracing the solitude. She made a mental note to come back here again soon. Most parks were full of people on the trails when she just wanted to be alone and relax in nature.  
A few minutes passed before she came across a rather large clearing. The place looked like it was stripped clean of its trees. Terra looked around for any sign of any logging machines, but found nothing. No machines and no tracks. She noticed what looked like a giant pit and went closer for a better look.  
“What is this?” She asked to herself as she looked over the edge. Below, she could see something glowing. That was interesting. Terra carefully climbed down the side, making sure not to stumble and fall.  
Once down, she took in her surroundings. There were multiple glowing blue crystals protruding from the ground and from the walls. Terra gazed in wonder at these strange crystals. She had never seen anything like these before. Some were huge! Maybe even bigger than herself. She was definitely going to take a souvenir. She went to the closest crystal that was small enough for her to take home and tried to pull it out of the rock it was stuck in. It was strangely warm to the touch. She pulled and pulled until it finally came loose. Terra smiled as she admired her new treasure. It was beautiful.  
“One more,” she said as she put the crystal in her backpack and went to look for another small one. It took a few minutes, but she found another small crystal embedded in some rocks. This one was looser and easy to free.  
She could come back here in the future and collect some more and even sell them. She was sure that she would make a lot of money selling these unknown crystals. This was a perfect opportunity that could turn her life around.  
Terra’s thoughts were disturbed when the ground began to shake around her. An earthquake? In this area? That was impossible! Terra looked around and saw a swirling green vortex at the other end of the pit. That didn’t look good. She looked around in panic and ran to hide behind a large rock. She dared to look around it and watched on in surprise as multiple giant beings began emerging from the swirling vortex. There could have been around twenty of them as they quickly got to work. They were collecting the crystals. Terra frowned. Her hope for turning her life around went right out the window.  
Another being walked out of the vortex and Terra felt her blood run cold at the sight of it. It was big, even bigger than the other giant beings in the pit with her. It was also intimidating. Terra hid behind the rock and tried to calm herself. This wasn’t good. She was stuck down here with these strangers. Were they hostile? Would they harm her? She really didn’t want to find out anytime soon. All she could do was hide and hope they wouldn’t find her.  
Minutes passed and Terra was feeling restless. She had no idea what these creatures, but she had to document them somehow. She could take a picture of them! She rummaged through her bag and pulled out her vintage camera. Perfect!  
She looked around the edge and saw the largest of these strange beings. It looked like it was the one in charge.  
“Get every scrap of the energon. I want it all,” it commanded in an angry deep voice. A male. Terra watched his every move until he was close enough for her to safely take a picture. Terra pressed the button and felt her heart drop when the flash went off.  
“Shit,” she whispered as she hid behind the rock to turn off the flash. She really hoped she wasn’t spotted. Hopefully, she was far away enough to not be noticed with flash.  
She had to take another picture. She looked around the rock and froze when she saw that giant being looking right at her with angry red eyes. The other beings were looking at her as well. Terra slowly lowered her camera, not taking her eyes off these clearly dangerous and angry creatures. What could she even do? She couldn’t run even if she tried. There was the pit she had to climb out of first and that was going to be the hardest part.  
“You can come out from there, human,” the big one growled.  
Terra took a deep breath and slowly stepped out from her hiding place, her hands up in surrender. No sudden moves. It works with wild animals and it should work with these strange beings.  
“I...I come in peace. I mean no harm to you and...and your people,” she said in a shaky voice as she stepped closer. The smaller beings gazed her intensely despite having no recognizable facial features. It made her uneasy. She turned her gaze on the big one and saw the disgust on his face as he glared down at her.  
“You’re an intruder and a thief, small one,” the big one growled as he reached down to tear Terra’s backpack off with ease. Terra fell down to the ground with a grunt and looked up at this terrifying creature as he emptied the contents of her bag into his hand. The crystals fell into his hand and smiled at them briefly before turning his attention back on her.  
“You were going to steal what’s mine. That’s a crime punishable by death,” he grumbled as he crushed the rest of her stuff. Terra’s mind was racing. How was she going to get out of this. One of the smaller beings stepped forward, its arm changing shape to turn into what looked like a gun.  
“Give the order, Lord Megatron,” it said.  
“Step down, soldier. I’ll handle this one. I’m feeling a bit...generous today,” the one named Megatron crowed as he stepped closer to Terra and bent down to be at eye level with her.  
“You are going to run, little one. You are going to run and I will find you and I will terminate you,” he said with a dark chuckle. How the hell was any of that generous? Terra wanted to scream, but she couldn’t open her mouth. She was frozen in terror under the giant’s gaze.  
“You have until dark before I come for you. Run fast, little one,” Megatron crowed as he picked her up by the back of her shirt and put her on her feet. Terra nearly fell to her knees before she looked up and saw that it was getting dark fast. She didn’t have much time.  
She slowly backed away, never taking her eyes off these dangerous creatures before turning to make a mad dash for the nearest wall. Loud horrible laughter filled the air as she tried her hardest to climb up the wall.  
“This is going to be too easy,” Megatron laughed. Terra didn’t dare look back as she climbed. She had to survive. She had to get away and report this to the police. No, the government. They had to know about this.  
“Time’s running out, little one,” Megatron said. Terra tried to ignore him as she finally climbed to the top and ran back into the forest. It was already so dark now. She cursed silently to herself for not thinking about putting markers down so she could make her way back to her car. If she couldn’t find her car, she was going to be in big trouble. She hoped she could find someplace to hide for the night. Maybe her pursuer would lose interest in finding her and move on.  
Terra eventually stopped to catch her breath. She wouldn’t be getting to her car anytime soon. She had been walking for hours before coming across that pit. She had to find a place to hide, but where?  
In the distance, she could hear heavy mechanical footsteps slowly approaching. He was coming. Terra could see a large tree ahead of her and decided to hide behind that. Hopefully that would work for a while. In the quickly dying light, she reached into her vest pockets for something she could use. There were a lot of protein bars and a small flask of water in one pocket. She frowned and searched through another pocket. She smiled when she felt the small flashlight. That would come in handy.  
The footsteps were getting closer. There was also the sound of trees falling over.  
“I know you’re not far, little one. I will find you sooner or later,” the voice of Megatron called out.  
“Shit,” Terra whispered. He sounded so close.  
Terra tried to control her breathing when the footsteps sounded like they were just feet from her. She had to cover her mouth to stop herself from letting out a whimper. She didn’t want to die like this.  
“I can smell your terror, little one. It’s wonderful,” Megatron crowed.  
Terra watched on in silence as the tree next to her was uprooted by Megatron. She quickly moved around the tree as he walked forward. She could see how his red eyes glowed, illuminating the space in front of him. The red glow fell on where she had been standing just seconds ago. How much more of this was she going to take?  
“You’re good at hiding. Perhaps I shall reward you with a quick painless death if you can keep this up,” Megatron chuckled as he walked on, uprooting more trees in his path and tossing them to the side.  
Terra realized she was holding her breath when he was out of sight and took a deep breath. She had to keep moving as well. She went in the opposite direction of where he was going and walked until she came across the stream. She pulled her flask out and filled it up with water, making sure to look around just in case. She could hear Megatron somewhere in the forest, but it sounded like he was far away. She had some time to cover more ground. She wanted to pull out her flashlight, but the fear of being caught prevented her from using it.  
Those footsteps were getting closer. Terra tried to make out her surroundings before she spotted a fallen log. She could hide there. She rushed over and laid down next to the log. Hopefully, Megatron wouldn’t see her in the dark. She felt all the wet fallen leaves around her and got an idea. She first covered her face with mud and then grabbed a few armfuls of leaves, covering herself with them to hide. One of the things she learned while camping. She just hoped she wouldn’t get stepped on if Megatron were to come by her hiding spot. She moved some leaves away from her face so she could watch what was going on.  
A few moments passed before she saw the glow from his eyes getting closer and closer. The shaking of the ground with each footstep made her uneasy, but she stayed still, watching Megatron get closer and closer until he was around twenty feet away from her. Terra couldn’t take his eyes off of him. If only she had her flash off. She would have been safe behind those rocks and those creatures would have left. She would have gone home and shared those pictures with the government or online. Those crystals and the pictures would have made her so much money. Now she was trying to survive the night.  
Terra closed her eyes when the red glow fell on her hiding spot. She hoped she was well hidden under the leaves and with the mud covering her face. Those footsteps were getting closer. Closer.... She didn’t dare open her eyes the more the ground shook beneath her.  
The log next to her was pushed away, moving her in the process and making her grunt. She opened her eyes to see Megatron standing over her, the red of his eyes illuminating the cruel and terrifying smile on his face.  
“There you are,” he crowed as he held up his hand. A blade unsheathed itself from his arm and he brought it down. Terra screamed and rolled out of the way just as it hit the spot where she just was. She scrambled to her feet and ran blindly through the trees, not caring if any branches scratched her face. She could hear laughter behind her.  
Where could she go now? She had no idea where she was going and she was starting to grow tired. Why did she have to come out here today? Why did she ignore those signs when she drove here? Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision and disorienting her even more.  
She turned to the right and cried out as she fell into a small ravine. She landed on her leg and felt something pop, sending a wave of pain coursing through her.  
“No!” She screamed as she tried to sit up. She had to get her flashlight out. She had no idea how bad the damage was. She reached into her pocket and pulled it out, glad that it wasn’t broken. Turning it on, she grimaced when she saw her ankle was bent. She touched it, hissing in agony as she tried to figure out what had happened. She tried to move it around, biting her tongue in pain.  
“I’m fucked,” she moaned, tears welling up in her eyes as the realization of her dying set in. She was so cold and the small stream running through the ravine was making it worse. She had to find somewhere dry. Keeping her light low to the ground, she dragged herself through the mud until she was on dry land and away from the stream. She saw a stick that was perfect for propping herself up and grabbed it. She slowly got up on her undamaged foot and used the stick as a crutch.  
Where was her pursuer? Was he still after her? She turned to look behind her, but she didn’t hear or see anything. She let out a soft sigh and went to the closest side of the ravine. She had to sit and figure things out.  
The trickle of the stream was oddly soothing as she sat. She looked up at how much she would have to climb and felt more and more hopeless. She wouldn’t be getting out of here anytime soon.  
“God, could this get any worse?” She murmured to herself. As if on cue, she suddenly found herself in that red glow and froze as she looked up. Megatron was standing on the other side of the ravine, gazing down at her with that cruel smile on his face.  
“It appears that our little game is coming to an end, little one,” he crowed as he stepped down with ease. Terra didn’t bother trying to escape this time. It was no use anymore.  
“Fuck you,” she hissed as he stepped closer. Megatron let out a dark chuckle as he bent down to get a better look at her.  
“Such strong words for one who is about to perish by my hand. I had thought you would continue to impress me, but you humans always disappoint,” he crowed as he reached out to grab her. Without thinking, Terra swung her stick at his hand and it shattered against his fingers. It did nothing to him.  
“Is that all?” Megatron asked as he picked her up. Tears streamed down her cheeks as those sharp claws wrapped around her. This was it. She was going to die an unaccomplished life. She had so many plans. She wanted to meet her significant other and travel the world with them. She wanted to start a family and be somewhat successful in life. All of that was quickly tossed away because of her stupid decision to go for a walk.  
“Please...make it quick,” she murmured.  
“Well, since you managed to evade me twice, I shall grant you your wish,” Megatron said. He was silent for a moment before it looked like he had an idea. He turned her around so that she was properly facing him and brought one claw tip to her throat. It was cold and sharp as he lightly pressed it against her. Terra let out a shaky gasp at that awful sensation.  
“Soon, the rest of humanity will fall by my hand,” he said. Terra prayed a silent prayer, hoping some force would stop this awful creature. She looked at him with wide tear-filled eyes as she waited for the end. Everything became quiet as he pushed into her throat. The last thing she saw was that awful smile before all went dark.

Optimus Prime had been walking through the forest with Arcee by his side. A source of energon had been discovered by Ratchet and they were quick to come out to find what was left. Megatron had surely sent out his grunts to collect as much as they could. Hopefully they could find it soon and collect what they needed.  
“Lots of upturned trees around here. Looks like there was some kind of chase,” Arcee noted.  
“Something happened here. Perhaps some in-fighting between the Decepticons,” Optimus replied. If there was in-fighting, there would be a lot more damage.  
Optimus looked down at the ground and saw human footprints amongst other larger footprints. Something very bad happened here.  
It wasn't long before he noticed blood on some trees. Human blood. He frowned and looked over at Arcee who nodded. She looked uneasy as well.  
They followed the blood which led them to a ravine. Optimus didn’t have to look far before he saw the body of a young woman in the water. Arcee shuddered at the sight, looking away for a moment.  
Optimus carefully stepped down into the ravine and approached the body. The young woman’s head was laying next to the body, gazing up at Optimus with eyes full of terror.  
“This has to be the work of Megatron,” he murmured, feeling a wave of sorrow wash over him. He had no idea how many innocent humans his enemy had murdered, but this was enough. Megatron would pay for this the next time he saw him.  
“He’s sick,” Arcee said. Optimus nodded.  
Before he was about to turn to leave, he noticed something around the human’s neck. It was a blood-stained gold necklace with a name engraved in it.  
“Terra...,” he whispered.


	2. Alternate End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terra is taken on board the Nemesis. Can she survive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to write an alternate ending to my story. I might do more if ya'll are interesting :D
> 
> Warning: Some bloody stuff that's really just unpleasant

Everything happened so fast. Terra had blacked out when that creature lunged toward her with anger in those horrible red eyes. She was sure she was dead when those cold claws wrapped around her, blocking out all light.   
Voices could be heard somewhere. Angry voices. Terra groaned softly and tried to move. She quickly realized that she was chained by her wrists. She tried to see if her legs were working and felt that she was kneeling. She opened her eyes to find herself in a dark room. Huge chains were wrapped around her wrists.   
“Ah, my guest is finally awake,” a familiar voice crowed. Terra looked around in a panic before she heard heavy footsteps approaching. That creature stepped out from the darkness, glaring down at her in disgust. Terra noticed another creature in the room. This one was much smaller and watched on with a gleeful expression on its face.   
“A cute pet, but is there any need for one, my lord?” It asked.   
“Not a pet, Starscream. Just a guest who will be dead very soon,” the big one grumbled as it stood before Terra. Terra’s mind was racing. It was clear that this thing’s intentions were to harm her. She had to stall for time.  
“Where….Where am I? Who are...Who are you?” She asked, her voice shaky. This gained a dark chuckle from both of those creatures. It made her uneasy, but she had to keep calm if she wanted to get out of here somehow.   
“You’re on my vessel, little one. There’s no means of escape unless you wish to jump to your death,” the big one said before he continued, “You may address me as Lord Megatron.”   
Even his name sounded dreadful. Terra tried to look around the room for something useful, but everything was just too big for her.  
“Why did you bring me here? I meant no harm to you. I didn’t know those crystals belonged to you. It was a...a mistake. You can let me go and….and I won’t even tell anyone about you. I promise,” Terra said, hoping the one named Megatron would believe her. Did she mean it? What was she going to do when she was free? Would these creatures be watching her every move? The thought of it frightened her.   
“I brought you here to properly punish you, little one. I didn’t want you running off and dying in those woods before I had the chance to catch you. Being here will make things a bit easier for the both of us,” Megatron explained. It was clear that he didn’t listen to a word of what she said.   
“It was a mistake! I swear on my mother’s life that this is all a big misunderstanding,” Terra pleaded. She hissed in pain when the chains dug into her wrists a bit.   
“She begs as much as you do, Starscream,” Megatron laughed as he turned to the one named Starscream who nodded in agreement despite the annoyed look in his red eyes.   
“How are you going to dispose of it, Master?” Starscream asked. Megatron grew silent for a moment, turning his attention back to Terra. Terra wasn’t sure what to say next. It was starting to dawn on her that nothing she said would really matter.   
“There are many ways to kill you, little one. I want it to last. I want you to suffer for taking what was rightfully mine,” he growled. Terra’s heart was racing. Was she going to die right now?   
“You...You should...take your time trying to think of something. I...I’m not going anywhere,” she managed to spit out. She crossed her fingers, hoping for the best. More silence.   
“That is true, Master. Take some time to think of something truly diabolical,” Starscream suggested.   
“Perhaps I shall. I shouldn’t take long. Keep watch over our guest, Starscream,” Megatron ordered as he walked out of the room. Starscream watched him go before turning his attention back to Terra. Was he going to be more willing to listen to her? It wouldn’t hurt to try.  
“You...You have to let me go. I...I’m too young to die. I-I have a family who will be worrying about me,” she said. She let out a soft cry when the chains around her wrists tightened.   
“Is that so? I would love to help, but you belong to my dear master. He would be quite furious if something were to happen to you before he could do anything,” Starscream explained, getting down on her level to get a better look at her. A shiver ran through her body when he got closer.   
“I just want to live,” Terra murmured, gazing down at her feet. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She didn’t want to lose hope just yet.   
Starscream let out a dark chuckle as he gently tugged at the chains holding her in place. Terra grunted in pain when they dug into her skin.   
“I honestly don’t give a frag if you escape, but that’s almost impossible. Unless...,” he trailed off while standing up and turning to go. There was an awful smirk on his face as he ran a sharp claw along his wrist before leaving the room.   
Terra didn’t understand what he meant by that until she moved against the chains and felt her skin began to tear. That was when it hit her. She had only seen this type of thing before in movies and it always made her skin crawl. Could she pull it off? If it meant surviving another day, then she would try it. She couldn’t waste any more time. Megatron would be back any moment.  
She began to move her wrists against the chains, grunting in discomfort. This was going to hurt a lot, but it was going to be worth it when she was free. She wasn’t going to die in such a dreadful place.   
“Come on,” she whispered as she kept working at freeing herself. Her breathing became more labored when she felt her skin break under her restraints.   
“Fuck,” she hissed, biting down on her tongue to stop herself from crying out. Blood began to trickle down her arms the more she struggled against those chains. The wetter her wrists and hands got, the looser she would become. She was almost there. Just a few more moments.   
Terra let out cry as she began to yank her arms away, tearing more skin in the process. She thought of her friends and family and how relieved they would be when she was back safe with them.   
A scream escaped her lips as she yanked hard on her left hand and it finally came free. Most of the skin had been torn off in the process. Terra didn’t waste any time to take in the horrible sight before she began working on her other hand.   
“Come on, damn you!” She yelled as she tried to do the same thing. It took a few hard yanks before she finally broke free. She immediately held her ruined hands close to her chest and let out a strained cry as the pain coursed through her body. It burned like hell. She had to cover them with something quick. She removed her already ruined jacket and tore some scraps off.   
“Fuck,” she moaned as she tried to tend to her wounds. It wasn’t perfect and the blood was already bleeding through the fabric, but it would do for now.   
Breathing heavily, she looked over at the door and rushed over to it, praying and hoping that no one was on the other side of it. It opened automatically to reveal no one on the other side. Good.   
Terra cautiously stepped out and took in her surroundings. The lighting was so dim, but she could make out a long corridor ahead of her. She had to figure out some way to escape now.   
“If I’m on some kind of ship, then there has to be escape pods,” she whispered to herself. It was a good plan, but how was she going to find them in a place like this? It was huge.   
She stepped forward, looking around cautiously. There were other doorways that led to more seemingly corridors. She would have to choose one eventually.   
A sharp pain coursed through her hands and she looked down at them. They had bled through her makeshift bandages. If Megatron didn’t end up killing her, then this would. Tears welled up in her eyes as she held her hands under her armpits.   
She came across a dark room and wondered if there was anything in there that could help her when she heard approaching footsteps coming from ahead. She didn’t think twice before going into the room and hiding in the shadows of the doorway. Looking out, she saw Megatron walking down the hallway, looking angry as Starscream followed close behind. There was another creature with them. It was silent as it walked with them.  
“It’s just a human, Master. There’s no way it can escape,” Starscream said.   
“Is that so? Soundwave, show us the camera feed from that room,” Megatron ordered.   
Terra shivered as she hid herself. They were going to find out she was gone. She glanced down and saw how some blood dripped onto the floor. Her heart stopped when she realized that she might have left a trail.   
“How is that even possible? Those chains wouldn’t budge,” Starscream said, sounding aghast.   
“I gave you the most simple task and you failed,” Megatron growled.   
“Ah! You said you wanted to hunt the human down. Well, the hunt is on, Master. It just had a bit of a headstart and it left a trail. It can’t be far,” Starscream said. There was a low growl before it turned to a sigh.  
“Leave me. Both of you. This shouldn’t be long,” Megatron said.   
“Have fun, Master,” Starscream crowed.  
Terra could hear Starscream and the one named Soundwave leaving the area, leaving her alone with Megatron close by. She didn’t dare try to look out to see where he was.   
Megatron began to walk in the direction she had first come from, his footsteps growing faint. Did she have a chance to go somewhere else? She wanted to look, but her fear kept her in place. She tried to get a better look at the room she was in. There wasn’t much in the room besides a huge table that contained a number of what looked like tablets. She could hide under there.   
Those footsteps filled the air again. Terra had to move quick. She rushed under the table as the footsteps got louder.   
“You injured yourself in order to gain freedom, little one. You’re determined to live. Good. This will make the hunt all the more interesting,” Megatron’s voice said.  
The footsteps were getting louder and closer. Each sound filled Terra with more dread the closer they got. Was he in the room with her? It sure sounded like it.   
“You can’t be far, little one. I saw the trail of blood leading down this very corridor. You should have been aware that you would be leaking when you harmed yourself,” Megatron said. She hated that he was right about that.   
“I will find you sooner or later. I know my very own ship. I know all the knooks and crannies an insect like you could crawl into to hide away,” Megatron said with a dark chuckle.   
Terra covered her mouth to stop herself from gasping when the lights came on in the room she was in. It was dim, but it was light enough for him to possibly find her.   
“The trail ends outside this room. It looks like you figured out you were leaving a trail. Is our game already coming to a close?” Megatron questioned as he stepped into the room. Terra curled up into a ball, trying to blend into the shadows as much as possible. She had to stay calm somehow.  
“I already know what I’m going to do with you when I catch you. I’d tell you, but I’m going to keep it a surprise,” Megatron crowed. He was so close now. She could see his feet approaching the desk.Terra looked away, more tears welling up in her eyes. She had to think of something.   
“Hmm, someone needs to organize these tablets,” Megatron grumbled as he sat at the desk. Terra grew deathly silent as she moved to avoid being stepped on. She could have been less than five feet from him. She looked over at the doorway. If she ran now, she would have a few seconds to get away from him and find another hiding spot. This could be her only chance.   
She was about to make a break for it before the table was suddenly flipped over. Terra gasped and looked up in terror as Megatron smiled down at her.  
“There you are, little one,” he said while raising his arm. A blade unsheathed from his arm as he brought it down. Terra screamed and got out of the way just in time. She jumped to her feet and run to the door.  
“You won’t get far,” Megatron laughed cruelly. Terra tried her best to ignore that awful sound as she ran blindly through the corridor. Her vision was blurred by tears and the pain that was just getting worse and worse.   
She looked behind once and saw that he was taking his sweet time walking after her. He seemed so calm as he smiled wickedly at her. He was enjoying every bit of this. This was a game for him. A sick game that she didn’t want to be a part of any longer.  
Terra turned left and found herself in another long corridor. She was starting to get tired and the pain was just becoming more unbearable. She couldn’t keep this up any longer. She had to find somewhere else to hide and rest.   
She noticed a blue glow coming from a nearby room and decided to go there. She found herself in a huge room that was piled high with boxes containing something that glowed blue. Was this where Megatron was keeping those crystals?   
The room was perfect for her to hide in for a bit. She cautiously walked around until she was sure she was safe. She found a pile of boxes leaning against the wall and decided to sit there. In the blue glow, she looked at her hands. She pulled her bandages off and grimaced at the state they were in. She wasn’t sure how much more fight she had in her tired body.   
Terra’s eyes were growing tired as she gazed at the blue glow of the boxes. They were giving off such a wonderful warmth that made her drowsy. She could fall asleep right now.  
“No. No sleeping yet,” she murmured, slapping her cheek and immediately regretting it as that stinging pain coursed through her hand. She blinked a few times, trying to be more alert. Megatron was out there, hunting her down.   
She could hear those heavy footsteps getting closer again and held her breath when it was clear that Megatron was in the room with her.   
“I know you’re in here, little one. You’re weak and you’re tired. Just give up,” Megatron grumbled as he began walking around. Megatron stopped walking and grew silent. Terra frowned. Was he really expecting her to just come out from where she was hiding and give herself up? There was no way she was going to do that.   
“Hmm, you really are determined. That’ll make it all the better to kill you,” Megatron crowed. She wanted to say something smart, but doing so would give her away.   
Terra slowly got to her feet when she noticed that Megatron was getting closer. Closer. She hide behind another pile of boxes as he came across where she was just hiding.   
“All that blood. How are you not dead yet?” He questioned.  
Terra tried to look for another exit, but the only door was the one where she came in from. She had to distract him somehow. Could she knock some of these boxes over? No, they were too big for her. An idea suddenly came to her. It was crazy and most likely would get her hurt, but it could work.   
“H-Hey. I...I give up. You win,” she said while stepping out of her hiding spot and standing before him. She put her hands up, looking up at him fearfully as she pressed her back against one of those piles of boxes. Megatron appeared surprised to find her before he cocked his head, a suspicious look on his face before it turned to a smile.   
“I’m glad you could listen to reason, little one. I don’t need you dying before I can even lay a claw on you. It’s just better this way,” he said as he bent down to grab her. Her heart was racing. She didn’t have a moment to waste before she ran to the side. Megatron let out an angry growl as he pushed the boxes over. Those boxes hit another pile, leading to more piles falling over and breaking in the process.   
“You little wretch! Do you have any idea how long it took to collect all that energon?” Megatron bellowed. Terra didn’t listen. She ran for the door before it suddenly closed in front of her. The lights went out, leaving the only light coming from the spilled contents that made the floor glow blue. The other source of light in the room was coming from Megatron. His eyes glowed red and they were coming closer and closer. He was pushing more boxes out of the way and spilling the blue contents on the floor, leaving blue footprints behind.   
“Our game is over, little one,” he hissed.   
“Fuck you,” Terra growled, standing her ground. She was terrified and she was angry. She wanted to survive and she wasn’t going to let her last moments be spent in fear. She was going to go down mad.  
“Killing you will be most satisfying,” Megatron growled back as he reached down to grab her. Cold sharp fingers wrapped around her and she was brought to eye level with him. Terra glared into those awful red eyes that illuminated his face and only wished bad things for him.   
She let out an angry scream, slapping him across the face and leaving a small bloody handprint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She's not dead yet :)  
> Maybe I will do more in the future...


	3. Alternate End Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terra's time finally comes to a bloody end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright ya'll, things are gonna get gnarly here. If you know about the machine described in this chapter, then I'm so sorry :'D

How long had it been? Hours? Days? Weeks? It didn’t really matter. Time had lost all meaning after a few hours alone. Terra was stuck in this dark box, awaiting her fate. She was going to die here, she was sure of it.   
Megatron had thrown her into this dark cage and stormed off to retrieve some tools for her. He never returned. Was this how she would die? All alone in the dark? Doomed to starve to death? It was a shitty way to go, but she thought he would do more to her.   
She had examined the dark cage for anything that she could use, but found nothing. There was no way out.   
She wanted to scream and bang her hands against the walls, but knew that would do nothing but damage her ruined hands even more.   
All she could do now was sit and wait for whatever came next. She gazed up, tears welling up in her eyes as she tried to think of something to keep her sane. What was going to happen after she died? Would she be in a better place or would she just float aimlessly in the dark? The latter sounded much more pleasant and comforting.   
At some point, she could hear voices outside. She pressed her ear against the wall and tried to listen to what was going on.  
“Are you sure this contraption will be effective, Knockout?” Megatron’s voice questioned.   
“Of course, my lord. My replication will work perfectly on humans. To make it even better, she might live for a bit after so you can keep her around and watch her as she fades away,” another voice, Knockout, crowed.   
“Excellent. How long will it take to create this wonderful machine?” Megatron asked. He sounded excited. Terra didn’t want to know what they were talking about.  
“Hmm, not long, my lord. I have all the materials I need to make it,” Knockout replied.  
“Make it quick before I decide to dispose of the wretch myself. It’s creating such an awful stench in here,” Megatron grumbled.   
“Of course, my lord,” Knockout said.   
Terra backed away from the wall when it was clear that she was alone again. Something bad was going to happen very soon. She hoped starvation would kill her first before they came back with whatever they had planned for her.   
“I just wanna go home,” she whispered to herself as she laid down and tried to sleep.

A loud banging on the walls awoke Terra from her dreamless sleep. She sat up, looking around in a daze as the opening to the cage opened up. She shielded her eyes as light flooded into the small cage.   
“Oh, you’re still alive,” Starscream’s voice grumbled. Terra froze when she saw him glaring back at her in disgust.   
“What...What are you doing?” Terra asked, her heart pounding at the idea of it being her time to die.   
“Making sure you live since I failed to keep you locked up before. Eat,” Starscream said while pushing a box into her cage. Terra looked at the box and then back at him with a questioning look.   
“There’s enough food and water in there to keep you alive for a week. I won’t have to check in on you every few hours like my master wants,” Starscream explained.   
“I’m not hungry,” Terra said, turning her back to him. Her stomach let out a deep growl, making her groan.   
“You will eat sooner or later, girl. I don't want to force that disgusting mess down your throat,” Starscream growled before closing the door. Terra listened to make sure she was alone and could hear him pacing back and forth outside. It sounded like he was mumbling to himself. Could he maybe help her escape? He did give her advice before even though it ended horribly.   
“Hey, you can help me get out of here,” she spoke up. There was a dark chuckle on the other side that filled her with dread.  
“Now why should I help some insignificant insect? You’re better off dead,” Starscream’s voice said.   
“Because it...It’s the right thing to do. I’m innocent-,” she was cut short when Starscream laughed.   
“You’re not innocent! You managed to ruin perfectly good energon in our storage room. We work too hard to collect all of that,” he said.   
“I...I didn’t know. I don’t know anything about you and your...people. If I had known how precious those crystals were...I wouldn’t have taken them,” Terra replied. Maybe if she were to learn more about her captors, she’d get some sympathy. She looked at the box and felt her stomach growl again.   
“Listen, I...I’ll eat if you tell me more about why you’re here. Tell me about yourself and...and your master,” she said, hoping for the best.   
“Hmm, I might as well tell you since you’re destined to die. All this knowledge will die with you when the time comes. Sit and eat, girl,” Starscream ordered.   
“My name is Terra,” Terra replied as she went to open the box. 

Terra laid down, gazing into the dark. She had learned so much over the past few hours and that was only the start. She always knew aliens were out there somewhere, but here they were on her very own planet. If she ever made it out, she would tell everyone she came across and probably get tossed into a psych ward. The thought made her giggle. She wasn't getting out of here.  
She had asked for more history lessons, but Starscream was quickly growing annoyed with her and left her alone. She really hoped he would come back. She liked listening to him.  
Over the past few hours, she had learned about the war that ruined her captor’s home planet and why they had come to earth. Those crystals she found were pretty much the life force of these strange beings. No wonder Megatron was so angry when she tipped over those boxes.   
Starscream had mentioned the Autobots and wondered what they were like. He said they adored and protected the humans and would do anything to protect Earth. She sighed and hoped they would protect humanity when she was gone. No one deserved to be treated like this....

“Wake up, girl,” Starscream’s voice ordered.   
Terra had been dreaming about hiking in a more pleasant forest when she was awoken. She looked up and saw Starscream looking back at her. He looked excited about something.   
“What’s happening?” She asked.   
“The machine has been made. Megatron will be coming down momentarily to get you. I saw what it can do and it’s not pleasant,” Starscream said, a cruel smirk forming on his faceplates. Terra felt her blood run cold. This really was about to happen. Her mind was racing as she tried to figure out what to do. There was no way she could fight back. All she could try to do was run even if it was a stupid decision.   
“No,” she murmured.  
“No?” Starscream questioned.  
Terra jumped to her feet and made a mad dash for the open exit, not caring if Starscream was in the way.   
“I don’t want to die!” Terra exclaimed as she jumped. She immediately regretted her decision when she saw the huge drop and fell to the ground. She had been kept on a high platform that could have been twenty feet off the ground. She fell on her side and cried out at the sudden pain.   
“You humans are so determined but stupid,” Starscream said, looking down at her in disdain as he crossed his arms.   
“Please, let...let me go. I...I’m scared,” Terra whimpered as she tried to get up. A sharp pain coursed through her, making her gasp in agony as she clutched her side. Something felt broken.   
“You belong to my master, girl. If I were to help you, he’d have my spark carved out,” Starscream said as he bent down to pick her up.   
“That...That sounds terrible. You...You could come with me. If your master is so bad, then just leave,” Terra said, hoping he would listen.  
“I have better plans for my dear master. One day he will fall and I shall rule in his place and it will be wonderful,” Starscream crowed.  
Fresh tears welled up in Terra’s eyes. There was only one thing she could do now.  
“Just...kill me. I...I don’t want to die by Megatron’s hand,” she murmured.   
“I’d really love to, girl. I can only imagine what it would be like to crush you, but like I said before, you belong to my master. He has a better plan for you,” Starscream replied.  
There was no use begging anymore. Terra wept silently as Starscream turned around when the sound of heavy footsteps filled the air.   
“Ah, my master approaches. Do you have anything left to say to me, dear Terra?” Starscream asked.   
“Fuck you,” she murmured before spitting at his feet.   
“What are you doing with my guest, Starscream?” Megatron demanded as he walked into the room.   
“I’m just getting your special guest ready for her execution, Master. She tried to escape when I opened her cage, but she didn’t get anywhere,” Starscream crowed as he presented Terra to him. Terra glared at Megatron with a look that could kill. He didn’t seem impressed as he took her from Starscream. Terra refused to look at any of them.  
“Keeping humans contained can’t be that hard, Starscream. I’ll have to give someone else that task if it’s that difficult for you,” Megatron grumbled as he turned to leave the room. Starscream followed behind, looking angry.  
The corridor Megatron walked through looked much darker than usual. It did nothing to ease Terra. This was the end. She tried to think of good things like hiking and her friends.  
“What’s it like to be so close to death, little one?” Megatron asked, smiling down at her cruelly. Terra refused to acknowledge him as she turned her head away. She wouldn’t give him any satisfaction.   
“What’s wrong? Too terrified to speak, girl?” Starscream spoke up. She was terrified, but not at that level. She was more angry than scared.   
“Save your breath, little one. You’ll need it to scream one last time,” Megatron crowed as he gave her a squeeze. Terra grunted, but did nothing else despite the tears welling up in her eyes.   
Some time passed before Megatron walked into a rather large open room. In the center was another Decepticon who was busy working on a strange looking machine. There was another in the room, Soundwave, who was typing away at a huge computer.  
“Ah, perfect timing, my lord. I just finished up some minor details that will make things much more fun,” The Decepticon said in a familiar voice as he stepped to the side to show off his creation. It was Knockout.  
“Wonderful. Let’s get our little test subject ready,” Megatron said as he approached the machine. Terra had no idea what this machine could do. There was a platform for her to stand on with an attached wall that contained chains for her hands and feet. Opposite to the platform was a tall circular device that was pointed at the wall.   
“Check this out,” Knockout crowed as he pressed a panel on his arm. The device came to life in response with a high pitched hum, glowing red. Two lasers then shot out of the device after a few moments, hitting the spots where the chains meant for her hands were. They left smoking burn marks behind.   
“I can’t wait to hear your screams, little one,” Megatron chuckled as he handed Terra to Knockout. He gently touched her ruined hands with a sharp finger, inspecting them.   
“This might make things much more painful for you, girl. I wish I had been there to see you free yourself,” he said while taking her to the machine.   
“Don’t do this,” Terra muttered as he chained her to the wall. He ignored her and tightened the restraints around her wrists, making her groan in agony. She could feel the heat from the scorch marks on her ruined hands. She looked around at her captors and saw how they looked at her. They were ready to watch her die.  
“Soundwave, are you ready to record everything? I want the Autobots and the rest of my loyal followers to know what will happen to these insects once our enemies have been driven away from this miserable planet,” Megatron said. The one named Soundwave simply nodded in response.   
Terra suddenly noticed many other Decepticons watching on from the shadows. She was surrounded.   
“Do you have any last words, little one?” Megatron asked, standing before the machine to get a front and center show of what was about to happen. Terra wanted to be quiet, but her anger got the better of her.   
“You’re the fucking devil,” she murmured.   
“Ah, I have heard of such a thing. I can assure you that I’m much worse than some fictional creature,” Megatron chuckled as he stepped back a bit. He gave a nod to Soundwave and on the giant screen was her. She looked at herself and saw the terror in her eyes. She looked away as the device came to life once again. She wouldn’t watch. She gazed at the device in front of her as it began to glow.  
Time seemed to slow down as she watched the device glow more red. All sound had been drowned away except for the hum of the machine. She could hear voices all around her, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. She had to think of something. Anything to take her mind away from what was about to happen.   
Her heart was beating a mile a minute in her chest as each second dragged on.   
“This is what shall happen to all humans when you’re gone, Optimus,” Megatron’s voice said somewhere.   
“Megatron, you’ve gone too far,” an unknown voice grumbled.   
Terra managed to look up at the screen and saw a different person watching on with angry yet scared eyes. Was that the one named Optimus Prime she had been told about? Terra hoped he would bring a stop to this madness when she was gone.   
The hum from the device grew louder. Terra turned her attention to it, her breathing becoming more labored as the end came inching closer.   
“Those children are next when I get my hands on them,” Megatron crowed as the lasers shot out at her. Terra let out a pained scream at the intense heat. She had thought degloving her hands was bad, but this was worse. Much worse.   
The lasers then quickly went down her arms. She could only watch in stunned horror as they went to her chest, down her stomach, and finally ending at her feet, cutting her clothes off in the process. The lasers then disappeared. Terra looked down at her ruined body as Megatron laughed.  
Terra noticed movement and saw two mechanical arms shoot out from the machine. They grabbed her by the arms, digging into her ruined flesh where the lasers burned her. She began to scream as the arms yanked on her as if trying to pull her away. Her mind was flooded with shock and terror. All she could do was cry out for her parents who were miles and miles away, unaware of the horror she was going through.   
The mechanical arms yanked and yanked, pulling her loose with sickening sounds. Terra looked up at the screen with tear-filled eyes. Optimus was watching everything with a stoic expression on his face that looked forced. She could see the fear in his eyes. There were others with him, watching on in shock. She didn’t dare look at the creatures surrounding her.   
With another yank, she watched in disbelief as she was pulled free from her skin. The pain was beyond unimaginable as her skin peeled back with terrifying ease. She had never heard or seen anything so dreadful in her short life. She was glad she wouldn’t have to hear it again very soon.   
The restraints around her feet came loose as she was yanked forward. Something had spilled out of her, but she wasn’t going to look at what fell. Doing so would make things worse.   
“Look at that. I never knew humans were so red on the inside,” Knockout’s voice said.   
Terra looked down and saw the bloody muscles that were now exposed along her body. She felt sick and released the contents of her stomach onto the ground. She was quickly growing numb. The arms holding her up let go, letting her drop into a pile of her own blood. She couldn’t get up.   
“That was wonderful. Simply wonderful. You truly outdid yourself with this, Knockout,” Megatron said with a laugh as he stepped forward to get a better look at her. Terra only looked back at him with half-lidded eyes. His once red eyes were now a deep purple. How strange. It made him all the more terrifying.  
“You’re still alive. Perfect. Shall I finish you off now or shall I keep you around a bit longer?” Megatron mused as he picked her up. Terra let out a pained whimper as he dug his sharp claws into her sides. She wanted this to end. How was she still alive? She looked over at the screen and saw that Optimus was gone. She knew he and the rest of his team was going to avenge her someday and Megatron would pay for what he did to her and many others. The thought made her feel happy.  
“You’ve been a wonderful test subject, little one. I wish we could do more, but it looks like you’re running out of time. Let me help you,” he said as he pushed his claws into her. Terra closed her eyes and finally let go with a ragged gasp.


End file.
